Resident Evil 4 – To Live Is To Die
by EvaXephon
Summary: The story of Resident Evil 4, told with a few added twists.Update: Chapter 6 Up.
1. A Long Way From Home

Leon played with the photograph in his hands. There wasn't much he could do with it, just look at it and bend it a little – but, then again, there wasn't much he could do in the van, in the first place. The only other people around, two Spanish cops sitting in the front seats, made him feel a bit uncomfortable. However, it wouldn't exactly be truthful to say that he was only playing with the photo because he didn't have anything better to do. The subject of the photo wasn't bad to look at.

_Ashley Graham...20 years of age...Daughter of the President of the United States._

Leon Scott Kennedy had received special training via a secret organization working under the direct control of the president. Recently, he was told that he was to assume the responsibility of protecting the new president's family. This was directly after the president's daughter was kidnapped by an unidentified group, while on her way home from her university. _So, if something bad happens, slap all of the responsibility on somebody else, and tell him it's his problem? Sad..._

The motives of the kidnappers were unknown. Although, there was apparently some reliable information that the perpetrator was someone from inside the White House itself. Only a handful of people knew about the kidnapping. It had been kept under wraps, mostly due to the fact that they couldn't determine who the traitor was. The guys in intelligence said that they had reliable information that Ashley had been sighted somewhere in Europe.

_Ashley disappears, their only clue is that the perpetrator may be a traitor inside of the White House, and suddenly someone in the White House tells them exactly where to look? That sounds pretty suspicious to me. It almost seems as if this is all part of some ploy. What are the chances of her being sighted in rural Europe, anyway? I smell bull. In any case, there isn't enough information to come to any conclusions, so I don't believe a damn thing that the guys in intelligence say._

Leon thought back to the last words of his briefing. "Its just a matter of time before the kidnapper is exposed." _Well,_ they _certainly sound confident. Perhaps they're just trying to mask their own uncertainty. ...Heh. Look at me, getting all psychological over this. I'd better lighten up. Why do they assume she's been kidnapped? Maybe she's just gone on a European vacation without bothering to tell anyone._

Leon smirked and chuckled quietly at his own joke. The tiny sound was enough to get the attention of one of the cops in the front of the van. He turned around to look at Leon. _Oh, no. Please don't tell me he's going to try to start up a conversation..._

"Yo..." The cop began, confirming Leon's fears. "...Who are you, really? Come on and tell us. You are a long way from home, cowboy. You have my sympathies."

"Heh. I guess that's a local's way of breaking the ice..." Leon muttered to himself under his breath, before responding to the cop. "Sorry. There is really nothing interesting that I can tell you about who I am. Anyway, you know what this is all about. My assignment is to search for the president's missing daughter."

Leon might have been warmer to the cop if not for the 'cowboy' remark. That, and Leon tended to feel like people were being condescending to him when they told him that they felt sorry for him.

"What? All by yourself?" The cop asked in a mocking tone.

"No – you two are _supposed_ to help me." Leon said, letting the cops know that he didn't have much faith in them. "I'm sure that you boys didn't just tag along so we could all sing Kumbayah together at some Boy Scout bonfire. Then again...maybe you did."

The cop didn't seem phased by Leon's retort. "Heh. Oh, you crazy American. It's a direct order from the chief himself. I tell you, it's no picnic."

Leon felt a little disconcerted by the cop's lack of enthusiasm. "Hey – I'm counting on you guys. Don't let me down."

The two cops merely looked at each other and shrugged.

Leon turned his attention back to the photograph. _Ashley Graham...Is it true that she's really 20 years old? She looks like she's 16..._She looked a normal girl, so she didn't strike Leon as being the president's daughter, despite her slight resemblance to President Graham. However, she did strike him as being a very attractive girl. Leon wasn't the type to whistle at a pretty lady, but the photo was all he had to look at, so he continued admiring it. Or, more specifically, Ashley. He didn't even realize how engrossed he'd been in her photograph until he noticed that the car had stopped moving.

"Just up ahead is the village." The cop who had been driving informed him.

"I'll go and have a look around." Leon said, slipping the photo into his back pocket.

"We'll stay and watch the car. Don't want to get any...parking tickets." The other cop said.

Leon rolled his eyes at the lame joke. "...Right. Parking tickets..." He muttered.

"Good luck!" The other cop said in a insincere voice. Ignoring him, Leon opened the door and got out of the car.

Leon now found himself standing on a trail. The sky was grey and cloudy. The sun wasn't in sight. It was fall, so dead leaves covered the ground, and dead trees could be seen all around. There were some crows pecking the ground up ahead of him. _Aren't crows supposed to symbolize death, or something like that?_ The presentiment of death seemed to be present everywhere Leon looked. Realizing that it was silly of him to stand around thinking about death, he began walking down the trail, sending the crows flying off. He held his handgun out, cocked and loaded. He didn't feel that he would need it just to ask the locals if they had seen Ashley, but he was supposed to expect kidnappers...or, at least, something like that.

The trail forked. The right path was blocked off by an old–looking truck. The trail to the left led up to a shabby, two–story house. Its door was wide open. _Is that their way of inviting me in? Or do the people around here just leave their doors open?_ As Leon took the left path, he got a creepy feeling – as if someone was watching him. _I've got to stop letting this place get to me._

Leon walked up to the door. Even though it was open, he knocked on it, and called out. "Hello? Is anybody there?" No response. Leon poked his head inside the house a little and looked around. He stepped inside. It was pretty devoid of furniture. Walking inside a little further, he heard the sound of a man coughing. _So, there_ is _someone inside this house._ He rounded a corner and saw a man standing in front of a fireplace, tending to it with a stick.

"Ah, excuse me, sir?" Leon called out softly, not wanting to scare the man or seem hostile. The man kept his back turned to Leon, continuing to mess with the fire. He didn't reply, or even look back at him. Leon walked around a table and approached him. He reached into his back pocket, and pulled out the photo. To his surprise, he actually had a bit of trouble taking it out of his pocket. Not because it was stuck, but because he found himself feeling a little possessive of the photograph – as if he didn't want to let other people see it. _This is silly. I shouldn't feel possessive of a photograph. I'm going to show it to him, find out that he doesn't have a clue what I'm talking about, Ashley's going to turn up safe and sound in America, and this is going to be a big waste of my time._

As Leon stood near the man, the man finally turned to face him. His appearance was startling. He had pale, dirty skin, and the features of his face seemed to form a look of severe annoyance. As soon as Leon saw his face, adrenaline began pumping in his veins. Not because of the man's unpleasant appearance, but because something deep within him told him to fear this man – that he was evil – that he was an enemy.

Suppressing these feelings, Leon held out the photo to the man. "I was wondering if you might recognize the girl in this photograph."

"¿Qué carajo haces aquí¡Lárgate, cabrón!" The man barked at him. There seemed to be something wrong with his voice. Leon had heard hoarse voices before, but this man's voice seemed to echo with something that simply sent disgust through his body.

Leon wasn't a very fluent speaker of Spanish, but he could tell what the man had said. Something along the lines of, "What the hell are you doing here? Get out!" Of course, the man's expression and tone of voice could have told him that much.

"Sorry to have bothered you." Leon said. He owed the man an apology for intruding, and had no desire to start up a fight. He tucked his photo into his pocket. When he looked back at the man, he was picking something up.

An axe!

"ARRRRR!"

The man swung the axe at Leon. Leon ducked down, and then rolled out of the way of the axe. He quickly rose to his feet, took out his handgun, and pointed it at the man, who was now slowly walking towards him, his axe held above his head. "Freeze!" Leon shouted. The man did not stop his advance. "I said, freeze!"

The man continued walking, showed no intention of stopping. _If he doesn't stop...I'll have to shoot him. Does he know this? Do these people even know what guns are? It would be unfortunate if someone had to die over a small misunderstanding like this._

The man was still approaching, but there was still a little distance between them before Leon was in danger of being hit by the axe.

_Technically, I'm the 'bad guy' here. I'm intruding in his house. However, I knocked, I even called out to him, and he knows I don't want trouble – all I wanted was to ask him if he'd seen Ashley!_

Leon was within the axe's reach now.

"I'm going to give you one final warning! Stop, now, or I will shoot y–"

With a grunt, the man moved his arm behind him, and then swung it in an arc at Leon.

Leon pointed his handgun at the man's arm, and fired.

A few words escaped the man's mouth. "...Ugh!...L...Lord...Saddler..." After this, the man collapsed, falling face–first to the ground, and moved no more. Leon looked down at him.

There was a bullet hole in the back of his head.

_Damn! I shot him in the head!_ Leon's aim was perfect. But the man had moved in the time it had taken Leon to aim, and he'd accidentally shot a bullet through the man's brain rather than just into his hand.

All Leon could do was stare down at the man's corpse. He felt guilty. The man, as disturbing as his appearance and voice were, was only guilty of attacking an intruder in his home.

Another part of him, however, deep inside of him, felt relieved. The same part of him that had warned him that the man was dangerous...evil...an enemy.

Suddenly, Leon heard the sound of an engine starting. Leon dashed to the nearest window and looked out. The old truck that had been blocking the path was speeding off in the direction of the police van.

A medley of sounds filled the air soon afterwards. Gunfire, tires screeching, glass shattering, and last, loud crashing sounds.

Leon let out a curse. He hoped that he hadn't just heard the police van going down a cliff. _Stay calm. Don't assume the worst._

"¡Aquí está!"

Oh, great. There are more of them. Leon ran over to the door, and tried to open it. It wouldn't budge. It seemed as if someone was pressing against it from the other side. Leon ran back to the window and looked through a slit in the shutters. More men, standing outside. One with an axe, one with a pickaxe, and one with a pitchfork.

Leon looked around the room. What could he do? The cabinets and shelves held various small items, but there was nothing particularly useful in sight. On the dinner table was food. Upon closer inspection, it was rotten food. Leon looked at the fire that the man had been so engrossed in.

_No! That can't be a..._

There was a femur bone lying in the fireplace! That man had just burned someone's body!

Urged on by the sound of the other men beating on the door, Leon continued quickly exploring the house. He went through a doorway, rounded a corner, went down a hall, and turned to the left. Another cabinet. But...

Human skulls lined the shelves, and the drawers held more skulls and bones!

_...I count at least seven skulls here alone. Who knows how many more are here. This man has killed a lot of people._

Leon turned around and quickly walked away from the gruesome spectacle, still looking for a way out of the house, or something useful. Finally, he found himself in front of a window.

_I guess this is the only way out of here._

He took a few steps back, covered his face with his arms, ran forward, and leapt straight into the window. The glass shattered, and Leon flew through it, landing outside of the house.

He heard shouts in Spanish. He looked to the left – there were the men. They held their weapons high, and charged at him. Leon turned around and ran – dead end! He cursed. _I guess I have no choice!_ He turned to face the men, slowly approaching him.

"Wait! Please listen to me! I mean you no harm! I am just here to look for someone!"

The men responded with curses in their language.

Leon pointed his handgun at the men. "Damn it, listen to me! Don't come any closer, or I'll have to shoot you!"

The men simply continued to trudge towards Leon. He fired off a warning shot. Then a bullet into one man's leg. It only phased him for a moment. No matter what he said or did, they continued approaching, almost mindlessly. Zombie–like.

_Zombie–like... _

No. These men...are they...zombies?

The man with the pitchfork swung his weapon back, about to plunge it into Leon.

_I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with you, or what's happened to you, but you've forced me to have to kill you._

Three gunshots later, there were three corpses on the ground. Leon was not one of them. He bent down to look at them. They weren't zombies.

Remembering the two policemen, he ran back to the bridge. It was destroyed. He saw tire marks on the ground. His eyes followed them, knowing exactly where they would lead. Off the cliff, and into the river below. Leon bent down at the edge of the cliff, and looked down at the river. The old truck was lying down there, its engine on fire. The police van lay wrecked next to it. Leon stood up. "...No..."

_There is something wrong with this place. Something very wrong. It's not just the look of death everywhere – there was something wrong with those men. Their faces, their voices, their eyes...It's like they thirst for blood. And, then, the human bones everywhere...I hope Ashley's okay. The bridge is out, and I'm here to look for Ashley, so pressing forward is the only thing I can do._

Leon ejected an empty clip from his handgun, slid a fresh clip into it, and cocked it.

_All right. Let's get going, then._


	2. Morir Es Vivir

Leon turned around and went down the trail again, this time making a right when he came to the fork in the path, and passing by the spot where the old truck had been parked. There was a small shack just off the trail. _Looks too small to be a home. What's it for?_ He looked inside. Judging by the lack of furniture and abundance of boxes, he guessed that shacks like these were used for storage.

Further down the trail was something that appeared to be a signpost. It was a big wooden stick planted in the ground, with two smaller sticks in a crisscross pattern attached to it by rope. Despite its simplicity, it carried a sense of foreboding with it. When Leon drew closer, he saw that there were human skulls hanging from the sticks, and noticed that dry blood caked the structure. _Looks a lot like a warning sign to me. I have a very bad feeling about this...as if I didn't already._

Suddenly, Leon heard an inhuman, animalistic sound. He raised his handgun and pointed it around, its red laser sight flickering around the area, but there was no threat to be seen. Leon heard the sound again. When he listened to it, he realized that it didn't sound menacing at all. Rather, like a plea for help.

Leon stepped past the crude signpost, and saw a dog, whimpering. It let out soft cries and looked sadly at Leon. It didn't take him long at all to realize that this dog was wounded – a patch of its fur was blood red. It had stepped into a bear trap that camouflaged with the dead leaves in such a way that even Leon didn't notice it at first. _It would really suck to be caught in one of those things. I wouldn't want to be in his situation, so I guess I'll help him._ Kneeling down, Leon grabbed the clamps of the trap and pulled them apart, allowing the dog to slowly limp out of it. As soon as it was out, Leon let go of the trap.

The dog limped for a short distance, shook itself as if it were wet, let out a bark, and then ran off, faster than Leon thought a wounded dog would have been able to. _Well, I guess I've done my good deed for the day._ Leon thought humorously.

The wind picked up, and Leon heard something flapping. The sound was coming from rags attacked to another signpost down the trail a short ways – this one also crude, but not as sinister as the last. An arrow–shaped piece of wood was attached to it, pointing down the trail. Underneath that was another piece of wood, this one with the word "Pueblo" etched into it. _Pueblo? If I'm right, that means 'Village' in Spanish. Let's hope that the people there are a bit more friendly than the ones I've met so far._

Leon continued down the path, and soon noticed something out of the corner of his eye – there seemed to be a tiny red light on a tree, flashing on and off slowly. When Leon looked closer, he saw that the light was coming from a small yellow device attached to the tree. There was a string coming out of it, leading to another yellow device on another tree. _Nice trap. Explosives, tripwire, didn't expect to see that in a rural area. These guys must really_ hate _having visitors._ Two other trees were rigged with a tripwire, too, but between the two traps was a safe path.

As Leon began walking, he wondered why the safest path would be right down the middle. Isn't that the best place to lay a...

...Trap!

Leon leapt back seconds before stepping into a bear trap laid between the second and third trees. _So the real trap was between the others. Nice touch, but this is really starting to tick me off._

Suddenly, a booming, raspy voice bellowed out something in Spanish. Leon looked up to see an old man with a pitchfork standing further down the trail.

_Throwing a hissy fit because I didn't fall into your trap?_ Leon thought inwardly. The man began charging at him, pitchfork raised menacingly in the air. _These people...all they think about is killing! They won't even give me a chance to speak. Sorry it has to come to this, old man, but I need to protect myself._ A shot between the eyes later, the man with the pitchfork was only a memory.

Leon pursued his only option – going further down the trail. It wasn't long before he came across another small shack. He stepped inside. It was the same as the other. Shelves, boxes, cobwebs, dust...

...And a woman impaled by a pitchfork!

Leon took a step back after seeing the disturbing sight. The woman was actually suspended a few inches up off of the ground and pinned against the wall by the pitchfork. _That's just disgusting...But, if there is anything to be learned from this, it's that there is no sex discrimination in this place. All the more reason to find Ashley, and fast._

Leon left the cabin. It was only seconds before the sound of Spanish screams filled the air again. With quick reflexes as always, Leon's handgun was soon pointing directly at the source of the sound – two men, one with a pickaxe, one with an axe.

A moment later, there were two less bullets in Leon's handgun, and two more men dead. _I didn't even hesitate that time._ Leon wasn't happy about his growing desensitization to their deaths, but had no time to mourn. The trail ended there, stopping at a bridge. It looked like it would collapse if a feather landed on it, but it was the only way to go, so Leon began to cross it.

"¡Un forastero!" Cried out a voice. Leon looked up to see three men up on a cliff. After a bit more shouting, they ran off. _Forastero means 'stranger', and they didn't seem happy to see me. Do these people really hate strangers this much?_

After Leon crossed the bridge, the trail began again. Another shack was on the trail. Hoping for any helpful clues, Leon stepped in, and promptly stepped back out when an axe was swung at him by yet another man shouting curses in Spanish. Leon took aim at him, but a single string of guilt was holding his finger back from pulling the trigger. _So many dead already. Does this really need to go on?_

"Listen to me. Just put the weapon down. I'll let you make the decision. You can die, or you can live."

The man swung his axe at Leon. The axe swing did not cut Leon, but cut the string of guilt on his finger, ultimately sending a bullet into the man's head.

The man's eyes crossed, then rolled upwards, and he sank to his knees. With his dying breath, he sputtered a few words. "...Morir es vivir..." After this, he fell to the ground, silent.

"...What? 'Morir es vivir'? 'To die...is to live'?"

_Is this their philosophy or something? I don't understand these people. Whatever. I'm not going to keep risking my life by giving them chances. If one of them comes at me with a weapon, I'm going to protect myself._

Leon looked down the trail again. This time, he could see where it ended. It seemed to stop at what looked like a big door. Leon couldn't just go around it, since there were rocks blocking the way on either side of the door. The only means of progressing was to go through it. Stepping closer, Leon could see that there was a sinister–looking emblem on the door. Its shape reminded him of an insect. Deciding that it wasn't worth his time to think about it, he pushed these thoughts out of his mind as he pushed the door open and went through.


	3. Evil Residents

On the other side of the door, the scenery didn't change very much – more dead leaves and trees. However, Leon could see a building in the distance – another run–down two–story cabin. He could also hear voices a short distance away. He knew he was near Pueblo, the village. Walking down the trail, he saw more buildings. A small fire was in the center of the village. _Why do they have a fire going? For heat? It isn't that cold..._ When Leon looked closer, he saw what looked like a huge stake in the center of the fire. _Don't tell me...they're burning someone at the stake?_

Already apprehensive, and now with more reason for suspicion, Leon hid behind a tree, took out a pair of binoculars, and zoomed in.

He saw a body impaled on a giant hook, hanging from the stake. It was partially on fire. Zooming in on the face of the corpse, Leon recognized him.

_It's one of the cops! Damn...he survived the fall into the river, only to be captured and burned to death. If only he'd come with me..._

Leon turned his sights on the rest of the village. He could see several people, both men and women, walking about the village. They weren't doing anything out of the ordinary. One man was carting a wheelbarrow of manure out of a barn. A woman was carrying a pale of water from a well. Another man was using a pitchfork to load hay into a cart. Chickens clucked as they walked around, and Leon could hear the sound of a cow mooing from the barn area. Despite the flaming corpse in the middle of the place, which none of the villagers seemed to be paying attention to, it seemed like an ordinary village where normal people were just going about their business.

However, when Leon listened closely to their voices, he realized that the talking coming from the villagers was all cursing. They spat Spanish swears and profanities every few seconds. Not a single thing they said wasn't vulgar.

Leon's hopes sank. He had been hoping that these people would be different than the ones he'd met before, but it looked like everyone here was no different. Lacking any other options, he reluctantly trudged forward into the village.

As he approached one of the women, she turned to face him. As soon as she saw him, she dropped her pale of water, pointed a finger at him, and screamed at him at the top of her lungs. Leon couldn't even make out what she was saying, but he knew it couldn't be good. The woman reached behind her back and took out a pickaxe that had been held on her belt.

_They're all the same!_ She swung her weapon at him. Leon backed up and aimed his handgun, but the man with the pitchfork was coming at him from the side, and the man who had been carting a wheelbarrow was approaching him with an axe. _They've got me surrounded. I need to get to a better spot._

Leon dashed past the woman, barely dodging a swing of her weapon. He saw a house with an open door. _Maybe I can hide in there. Then I should be at least a little safer._

Leon ran into the house and quickly shut the door. He heard banging on it a moment later, and also heard the villagers shouting – this time, with purpose, as if they were giving each other directions. "Who are these people!" He dashed to a nearby window and looked around. They were gathered in groups and speaking to each other. "What are they planning?"

Suddenly, the sound of a chainsaw being revved up! "Great...chainsaw." Knowing that with all the banging on the door, it wasn't going to last, Leon pushed a small cabinet up against the door, barricading it. Immediately afterwards, he heard the sound of a window shattering above him. Letting out a curse, Leon realized that they intended to come in through the windows – maybe by ladders.

"¡Tey voy a matar!" A man shouted at Leon. His death threat was almost as intimidating as his beating on the window he was attempting to destroy.

"Son of a...!" Leon saw another cabinet, this one adjacent to the window being beaten on. He ran over to it and pushed it to block the window. _I've still got the guys upstairs to worry about._

He ran up the staircase. Right away, he saw something useful.

_A shotgun!_

Leon grabbed it off of the wall. He looked around the room, and saw a shattered window. He could see the top of a ladder poking into the room. He ran over to it, and gave the ladder a hard shove. It fell to the ground, and so did a villager who was climbing up it.

Glass shattering behind him! Another window, broken open by villagers. They climbed through the window and into the house. A woman was first in. She held a weapon. Still a few feet away from him, Leon didn't fire yet. He severely regretted not firing on her when he saw the woman wind up her arm and then throw her pickaxe at him. Leon dodged to the side, and it missed him by a hair's breadth – instead hitting the man behind him, who had managed to prop the ladder back up again and climb it. _She's unarmed now. She can't do anything._

The woman gave an animalistic hiss and lunged forward at Leon. He aimed his pistol at her head and fired. She fell to the ground harmlessly. _Even unarmed, they attack like animals!_

More villagers were piling in through the window. Leon heard a man's breathing behind him as another man climbed up the ladder. Overwhelmed by the sheer amount of enemies he was facing, he raised the shotgun. Aiming quickly but carefully, he fired a shot at head–level. The shot completely shattered one woman's entire head, and the shotgun's wide blast even hit the people standing behind her, making them stumble back. However, they were only phased for a second, and even hit by shotgun bullets, they continued their approach. Leon emptied another shot into the group, sending them onto their backs, and into their graves.

The man behind him had finally ascended the ladder. A handgun bullet to his chest, and he flew from the windowsill. But, another was climbing up the ladder, more were coming in through the window, and he could hear the sound of his window barricade being broken through downstairs. _It's a human flood!_

Being at risk while standing with his back to the window, Lack backed up against a wall that provided him a good view of both windows. He raised his shotgun, and when villagers climbed through and drew close enough to attack him, he fired.

Then, the sound of a chainsaw, and of wood being broken into splinters. _He used his chainsaw to break through the door!_ To his right was a man charging up the stairs, chainsaw held high. A bag was around his head, tiny holes poked through it for his eyes. Leon fired at him with his handgun – the bullets weren't stopping his charge. Finally, raising the shotgun, Leon filled the man's stomach with bullets, stopping him for good.

Suddenly, the ominous sound of a bell tolling rang out through the air. Villagers stopped in their tracks, their heads turning towards the direction of the sound. The bell tolled again.

"...Ah...La campana..."

"...Es hora de rezar..."

"...Tenemos que irmos..."

As the bell rang, all of the villagers stood, as still as statues, their bodies and heads turning towards a church far off in the distance.

Then, the sounds of items dropping softly to the ground, and footsteps. The villages were dropping their weapons, and all slowly marching away into the door of a building. Leon watched the spectacle with fascination.

"...Lord Saddler." He heard one villager mutter. _That's the second time I've heard that name. I wonder if that guy has anything to do with why this people are acting this way._

Leon jumped out of the window and ran into the center of the village, only to find it completely empty. After the last toll of the bell, the only sound to be heard was a heavy door shutting as the last villager marched through it.

Leon looked left and right, and turned around to check behind himself. The village was not a ghost town – not a soul was in sight. He scoffed and gave a shrug. "Where's everyone going? Bingo?"

_Something's happened to the people here. They're not even people anymore – they're monsters. They hiss and growl and snarl like animals and lunge at me, using farm tools or their bare hands as lethal weapons. Then a bell tolls and they all march off like mindless zombies? It's as if...every resident of this village is evil. What the hell is going on here...and what the hell does Ashley have to do with any of this!_

Remembering her, Leon took out her photograph again. Seeing it comforted him and made him feel better. He'd look at it whenever things got to be too much for him. _This had better not be a photo of a dead girl. Ashley...be alive._


	4. One Thing After Another

Leon walked towards the heavy door that the villagers went through. He wasn't sure if it was best to follow them, but if that direction led somewhere important, at least to the villagers, he should consider following. However, the door was locked and wouldn't open. That same symbol from the other door was on this one, as well. The symbol obviously stood for something important. But, what? And, what did it have to do with the villagers?

Knowing that standing around would get him nowhere, Leon turned and looked around. It seemed that there were many paths out of the village. He picked the closest one and walked down it. Along the path, he saw another sign – this one with an arrow pointing down the trail, and reading, "Farm." _Farm, huh? Well, I guess that's where I'm heading, then._ Leon continued down the path. _Another big, menacing door. Who would have guessed? At least this one is free of spooky emblems..._

The ground in the next area was muddy, and shoddy–looking structures littered the area, creating an overall atmosphere of dirtiness and filth. There was a barn to the left, and a house to the right. Neither looked like they would withstand a strong gust of wind, which was, at the moment, howling in a wicked tone. _I really need to stop letting this place get to me. The wind is just the wind, Leon, nothing more. Now get going._

Leon walked down the muddy trail, passing by a shack on his left and sending clucking chickens scattering. He knew that the locals were going to be hostiles, so he tried to sneak past the barn without being sighted – no suck luck. A man pitching hay noticed him, shouted the obligatory string of Spanish curse words, and began a gait towards Leon, pitchfork in hand. Leon shot him. Bullet in the brain, as per usual.

Coming out of the barn was yet another man – this one with a pickaxe. He moved his arm back, and threw the weapon. Leon's laser sight was on the man's forehead, but he aimed the handgun a few degrees to the left before firing – his bullet collided with the pickaxe, striking it in midair, and it fell to the ground harmlessly. The man took out yet another pickaxe from his belt, but didn't get a chance to throw it before Leon stopped him, in his standard way, of course.

Leon entered the barn, and the smell of cow manure filled his nostrils. He hurried out of it, into a small area with a few more cows and chickens. Among them was a dog. Something seemed to be wrong with it – it ran when Leon approached, and seemed to be barking at nothing at all. _There's even something wrong with the dogs? Ugh. Well, at least it's not violent._ Leon stepped into a small shack. Nothing inside of it but a stinking pile of manure, covered in writhing maggots. Stepping out, something brushed against Leon's arm. It was a hand! Leon pointed his weapon, but the hand was hanging limp. It seemed to be coming out of some kind of container...

A large cart filled with dead bodies! The limp hand belonged to one of the corpses filling up the cart. Flies buzzed around it, and Leon felt sick. _I wouldn't believe this if I weren't seeing it with my own eyes. What's with all of the dead bodies? Then again, if I started asking every question on my mind right now, I'd be here all day._

Hurrying out of the creepy area, Leon walked into a fenced–in part of the farm, near the house.

CRACK!

Leon looked down. He'd stepped on something! ...A chicken egg. _...And these are new shoes, too. But, that's the least of my problems, I guess..._

Leon neared the house, and peaked around a corner. He saw a man in a hat pitching hay. _I should kill him right now. He's just going to end up attacking me._ But Leon just couldn't bring himself to murder someone from behind without even being provoked. He knocked on the wall of the house. Sure enough, the man spun around and charged at him. Now Leon felt a bit better about the bullet that was about to end up in the man's head.

Stepping over the man's corpse and going into the house, he could hear someone above him. As he stepped near a ladder to climb up, a man shouted, coming through a window, pickaxe raised. Leon killed him, and was startled by a loud thump behind him. A man jumping down from the second story – he was still recoiling from his jump, making him an easy target. Leon killed him, as well – he was adjusting to his new reality fast.

Leon exited the house and walked along a trail a short ways, soon coming to another heavy door. He went through it, exiting the farm.

He was now in an area with a cliff face on either side of him and a trail leading down a hill in front of him. Immediately in front of him was a signpost – another morbid–looking warning sign, at that.

_I guess this warns of traps, eh? Funny. Why would they want to inform someone that there's a trap up ahead? Well, normally I mind warnings, but I have nowhere to go but forward._

Leon started down the hill. That's when he heard sounds coming from above him. _Already? What do they have this time?_

A giant boulder suddenly came crashing down along the rock face! It slowly began moving, and then picked up speed, rolling down the hill straight towards Leon!

Leon's initial surprise held him prisoner, but the bonds of fear holding his feet to the ground were soon broken, and he began running away as fast as he could. Leon was sprinting at his top speed, but the boulder was gaining on him fast. _I can't outrun it. The only thing I can hope for is to be able to dodge it!_

Then – a break in the trail. A clearing to the side. Leon threw himself out of the boulder's path, landing in the clearing. He jumped to his feet just in time to see the boulder roll into a cliff face, shattering.

Leon panted heavily, catching his breath for just a moment, before he continued on. The trail led to a tunnel through the middle of the cliff face. Leon walked through it, being wary of traps. He stepped in a puddle, and his footsteps awoke some bats on the ceiling, which shrieked and began flapping about. They were a surprise, but Leon didn't mind them.

At the end of the tunnel, there was a shattered fence. Ducking behind it, Leon surveyed the next area.

There was a shack to the left and a house in front of him, both looking pretty run–down, as most of the things in this place were. There was also a house further down, but Leon would have trouble reaching it – he could see at least one villager standing guard. A stick of some sort was in his hand. Leon slowly and cautiously began approaching. The man saw him, turned, and ran.

"Hey, wait!" _Is this man different than the others?_ Leon chased after him. Then, he stepped on something. Something sharp.

Bear trap!

Leon leapt back. He'd almost stepped right into a bear trap. He'd only stepped on one of the clamps, so it hadn't gone off. If he had been a few inches to the right...

_Damn that man, he tricked me! He tried to lure me into this–_ Something hissing and smoking appeared at Leon's feet. _What the?_ Dynamite!

Recognizing the smoking stick as a dynamite stick, Leon turned around and dashed away. He heard the dynamite explode, and a wave of heat followed. Luckily, he was unharmed. The man came running at him from behind the house.

_First you try to lure me into a bear trap, then you throw a stick of dynamite at me_...As the man lit a fresh stick of dynamite, Leon shot him in the head. The man fell, and his corpse was soon blown apart by the dynamite still in his hands. _Serves you right._

More sticks of dynamite, suddenly being thrown at him! There was someone in the window of the house, and a man near the shack, both tossing these new threats his way. Leon took a few steps back, and waited for the dynamite to explode. It went off, and then Leon dashed away. He ran around the house, looking for a door – found one! No, wait – It's nailed shut!

Smoking sticks at his feet. He ran. Explosion. Looked around frantically – the window! Leon ran towards the window that a man was tossing dynamite out of. He lit a stick, wound his arm back – BOOM! The dynamite exploded. Leon had shot the stick with a bullet while it was still in the man's hands.

Leon hopped into the house to hide. It wasn't a safe hiding space – there was a man with an axe inside. Leon shot him, putting an end to that problem. But, there was still one more threat left – the other man with dynamite. Leon fired a shot into the door, giving him a hole to look out of. Then, when the man came into view, Leon shot out of the hole in the door at the man. One bullet was all it took to fell him.

Now Leon was safe to explore. But there wasn't much to explore in the first place. The house was the worst he'd seen so far, but held nothing of interest. He found nothing in the shack except for more bear traps, another trip wire trap...and spiders the size of his head. He ran to the house – the only place he hadn't looked yet. _If there's nothing here, this is a dead end. I'd better find something._

The door had a padlock. Leon considered shooting it, and then decided to conserve ammo. He kicked the padlock three times, and on the third kick, it shattered. Leon opened the door, and looked around the room. Cabinets...a table and chairs...just normal furniture. But what was more interesting was that once inside the house, Leon could hear a sound – it sounded as if someone was banging on a door. _It's just one thing after another in this place_...Fearing it would be another hostile villager, Leon approached with caution. There was a doorway that led to a hall. Looking down it, Leon could make out two flashing lights – another trip wire trap. Leon shot the devices, detonating the explosives, and then was safe to go through.

The next room had a sofa and a fireplace in addition to the types of furniture he'd seen so far. Although he could still hear the sound, this room had no door. There was nowhere else to go.

Inspecting the room to the degree he could without setting off the trap, Leon noticed that a cabinet was blocking a doorway. Shoving it to the side, he stepped through the doorway and into the hall past it. The sound grew louder, and Leon's caution grew as well. When he rounded a corner, he saw a large armoire. Its doors were shaking, as if it was being beaten on it from the inside. _I guess someone's inside it. This is probably a trap...but this is the end of the line. Nowhere else to go._ Taking a deep breath, Leon sidled up beside the armoire, flipped the lock, and slowly opened it.

A body fell out! It was a man. Leon pointed his gun at him, expecting it to attack. But the man didn't get up. His mouth was gagged, and his hands were behind his back, as if they were bound. Seeing Leon and his handgun, the man tried to scoot away, and shook his head from side to side vigorously, as if to beg Leon not to harm him. Leon bent down and ripped the gag off of the man's face.

The man took a deep breath. "...Oh...A little rough, don't you think?"

_He speaks English...He's not swearing at me...And he's not trying to kill me._ This was all the incentive that Leon needed to help the man. Leon flipped him over, and began working at his bindings.

"...You're...not like them?" The man asked.

"No. You?" Leon replied, slipping off the rope that bound the man. The man rolled a few feet way, and then sat up.

"...Okay. I have only one...very important question...Do you got a smoke?"

"...Well, I got gum." Leon said apologetically.

Two villagers stepped into the room, one holding a pitchfork, and the other cradling an axe. However, neither of them attacked immediately like the others – these men simply stood as if they were guards. Even after they stopped walking, Leon could still hear footsteps – big ones.

"Perfect...the big cheese." The man muttered.

"What?" Leon asked, but he soon saw whom he was talking about. A giant of a man, clad in a long coat, with a great beard and a bald head, walked into the room and stood between the two villagers. Leon could tell just from the way he carried himself that he was a man of importance. There was also one more outstanding thing about him – he had one brown eye, and one red eye.

_I don't care who he is. He's another one of them – he's an enemy!_

Leon dashed forward, spun in a circle, and delivered a kick square to the man's chest – or, an inch away from his chest. The man had reached out and grabbed Leon's foot. Then, with a mighty swing of his arms, he flung Leon across the room, landing on the man he'd just freed. The two men were sent crashing into the armoire, which broke into pieces. Leon fell unconscious.


	5. Los Illuminados

_...Feeble humans. Let us give you...our power._

Unbeknownst to the unconscious Leon, a figure clad in a jet–black robe was slowly approaching his defenseless body. Held in the figure's pale hand was a large hypodermic syringe – big enough to make anyone cringe at the sight of it. Instead of the conventional single tube, this syringe had two – both filled with a purple liquid, but one containing what seemed to be a tiny egg.

The figure raised the syringe and stuck the needle into Leon's neck. Malevolent laughter echoed through the room.

_Soon, you will become unable to resist this...intoxicating power._

The figure squeezed down on the handle, and the egg slipped through the needle, into Leon's neck.

Leon awoke with a start. He looked around. In front of him were two shelves, each holding boxes. The shelves were attached to a dirty wall, the plaster cracked in some areas, revealing the brick layer underneath. A few menacing–looking hooks hung from the rafters on the ceiling. Sacks were piled on one side of the room, beneath boarded–up windows.

Leon was in a sitting position. He tried to move. He couldn't get up. His hands were bound, and tied to something – he looked over his shoulder to see that there was a man behind him – It was the one he'd rescued from the armoire, and their hands were tired together.

Leon nudged him. "...Hey...Hey! Wake up!"

The man stirred, and slowly awoke. "Ay ay ay..." He looked around the run–down room. "...Crawl out of one hole, and into another." He muttered to himself, perhaps a proverb from his place of origin.

"You wanna tell me what's goin' on here?" Leon asked.

"¿Americano, sí? Now, what leads a bloke like you to this part of the world?" He replied.

That was when it hit him – the photo! Did he still have it? Leon dug around in his back pocket as well as he could with his hands tied, tugging on the other man's bindings as he did.

"Oh! Ey! Easy! ...Whoever you are..."

Leon's fingertips caressed the photograph in his pocket, sending a wave of relief through his body. He pulled it out of his back pocket. "...Name's Leon." As long as the photo was out, he decided to show it to the man. "I came here looking for this girl. Seen her?"

The man looked down at the photo. "What, are you supposed to be a cop, or something? ...Nah...you don't seem the type."

"...Maybe." Leon responded, fearing that the man might harbor animosity towards cops, and not help him if he knew the truth. Afterwards, a silence fell between them, and the wind howled through the cracks in the boarded windows to magnify the silence.

"...Okay...let me guess." The man started. "She's the president's daughter?"

Leon scoffed. "That's too good for a guess. Wanna start explaining?"

"...Psychic powers..." The man whispered. The hair on Leon's neck stood up. "...Nah. Just kidding with you, amigo." Leon's shoulders sagged in disappointment. He couldn't believe he had been gullible enough to believe him at first. Then again, after all he'd seen that day, he was willing to believe an extraordinary claim. "I overheard one of the villagers saying something about the president's daughter in the church..."

"...And who might you be?"

"Me llaman Luis Sera. Used to be a cop in Madrid. ...Now, I'm just a good–for–nothing guy...who happens to be...quite the ladies' man."

"Why'd you quit?"

Luis scoffed. "¡Policía! You put your life on the line...Nobody really appreciates you enough for it! Being a hero isn't what it's cracked up to be any more..."

Luis' words sent Leon's mind reminiscing. "...Used to be a cop myself. ...Only for a day, though. Somehow, I managed to get myself involved with the incident in Racoon City...on my first day in the force."

"Wow. And I thought I was bad." Luis remarked. "That was the incident with the viral outbreak, right? I think I might have seen a sample of the virus in the lab at the department..."

"We can reminisce later. Right now, there are some important things I'd like to know. Who exactly are these people?"

Luis took a long breath, and then gave a deep sigh. "You and I are probably going to be in this one for the long haul, so I guess I'd better come clean. I'll start from the beginning.

"Long ago, there once was a religious group that had deep roots in this region, called the 'Los Illuminados'. Their goal was to create a world without sinners by cleansing the souls of those whom had sinned. Once cleansed, they would rise to the status of 'Ganado,' and find their reason to live. The plan was to save their souls using the power of something called the 'Las Plagas'. The Las Plagas aren't a holy power, but actually a unique variety of parasitic organism.

"The Las Plagas have the ability to manipulate the behavioral patterns of their hosts. They are social organisms. Instead of living individually, they live in perfect social harmony. It is believed that they have a collective intelligence. This type of behavior can be seen among insects such as bees and ants. However, this kind of social behavior is rarely seen among parasitic organisms. Perhaps it was a learned behavior by the Plagas. In any case, the Plagas have exceptional adaptation skills. They are able to live off many kinds of organisms by creating a symbiotic environment quickly. This ability, when combined with their social behaviors, allows them to interact intelligently between hosts, regardless of the host organism.

"There is a castle in this region. For many years, the Salazar family served as the castellans of the castle. The Salazar family ancestry has a dark past. The First Castellan of the castle had something against the Los Illuminados, and took away their rights and powers. He buried the Las Plagas deep underground below the castle, to hide their very existence. The Eighth Castellan, Ramon Salazar, became a follower of the religion, and felt that it was his duty, as well as his responsibility, to atone for the 'sin' committed by the First Castellan. He thought the best way to atone for that sin was to give power back to those who his family once took it away from – the Los Illuminados – and to resurrect the Las Plagas.

"But, when Salazar excavated the Las Plagas, no one thought he could bring them back to life, because they were all just fossilized remains. Everyone knew that the parasitic organisms could not survive without their hosts – that they couldn't sustain life on their own. However, when Salazar and his men excavated the remains, it almost appeared as if the Las Plagas were just waiting to be discovered, so that they could be resurrected. Several years later, unexplainable convulsions started occurring among the villagers who helped with the excavation of the Las Plagas. Then, one day, all of a sudden, these villagers turned into violent savages.

"They later found out that it was caused by the Las Plagas. Although they appeared fossilized, they were able to survive the long years by lying in a dormant state at the cellular level, remaining in a spore–like form. Apparently, during the excavation, the villagers inhaled the spores, and within their bodies, the parasites became active again. This is how the Las Plagas were resurrected. Even as we speak, the excavation of the Las Plagas continues. Only God knows how many of these Plagas have been resurrected. Not to mention the countless number of Los Ganados – now simply thought of as victims of the Las Plagas – that have been created. Do you understand what all of this means? Their inhumane activity must be put to an end. If they are not stopped, people all around the world could turn into victims of this crazy cult organization!"

Leon's head hung down. _I thought I had big enough problems when I had the job of rescuing the president's daughter from a bunch of violent savages. Now, the whole world is in danger?_ "...This is all a lot to swallow. But, who are you? What is your role in all of this?"

"I was one of the researchers who was hired to study the Plagas. In the initial stages of the research, we were searching for a safe and practical removal of the Plaga. Ironically, it turns out that the real objective of this research was not to find a way to remove the Plagas from the infected persons, but to find a way so that the Plaga could not be removed from the body easily." Under his breath, Leon muttered something in a tone that dripped with hatred. "...Saddler...he used me."

"Saddler? Lord Saddler, right? Who is he, anyway? That big guy?"

"No, the big guy was Bitores Mendez – the chief of this villager. Lord Saddler is the very leader of the Los Illuminados cult itself."

"So, this Saddler guy is the one to blame for all of this, then!"

"...No, amigo...Saddler is not all to blame. I...am ashamed to admit that my pure fascination with the Plagas blinded me to the true research objectives of the Los Illuminados. Even with the knowledge that Saddler was going to abuse the results of the experiments, I could not pull myself away from my research. As a result...I am just as responsible for this whole mess as he is. I see now that I was wrong, and I want to atone by bringing an end to their plans." Luis looked over his shoulder to see Leon better. "...And I can't do it alone, amigo. It looks like we both have a reason to stop those maniacs. What do you say? Partners?"

"Sure. But the first step to stopping them is getting out of here."

"Well, for starters, let's assess the situation. You and I are in confinement together. I don't know why they have kept us alive. I would, however, think that they'd at least keep us separate, and not confine us together as we apparently have been. Maybe they didn't think I'd trust a stranger and try to cooperate."

"Shhhh – quiet...Do you hear that?" Leon said in a hushed tone. The two men listened carefully.

"...Yeah...I hear it. Sounds like something heavy being dragged across the ground..."

The sound became louder, and suddenly, a villager appeared in the doorway, and this one, Leon recognized. It was the first villager he had encountered – not only was blood was splattered all over his body, but he had a bullet hole in his head right where Leon had shot him – in the eye. Behind him, he was dragging an enormous axe. _Why would they keep us alive, only to kill us? This Ganado must be acting alone. He must be here for revenge!_

"...Te voy...a matar... " The Ganado moaned at them. Even without understanding the language, it was clear that this man wanted going to kill them. Leon and Luis struggled, trying to scoot away from the man and simultaneously work off their bindings.

"Do something, cop!"

"After you!"

The man raised the gigantic axe into the air.

"Luis, pull away, now!"

The axe came down. Leon and Luis pulled their bodies away from each other, and the axe fell between them – landing right on their bindings. The bindings shattered, and the two men were freed. They rolled away, but the vengeful man did not give up. Leon saw the Ganado charging straight at him, axe held high above his head. When the man drew close enough, Leon thrust his foot into the man's stomach and used his momentum to flip him through the air. The man flew into a wall and landed on his head, the force breaking his neck and causing blood to shoot out of his mouth. This time, the man was gone for good. Leon turned around to face Luis...

...But Luis had vanished.

_He ran away? I didn't figure him for a coward. Or maybe he just thought it would be safer to split up. Whatever. I knew from the beginning that I wasn't going to have much help._

Leon instinctively reached for his gun. He still had it on him! They hadn't even bothered to take away his weapons or ammunition. He checked himself for injuries – none...except for a tiny bump on his neck. _Probably just a bug bite. I think it's time I got moving. Luis said that Ashley was being held ina church...Guess that's my next destination, then._


	6. A Single Step

Leon didn't feel like going on. He had already felt tired before, and hearing the story behind this entire mess had served only to make him feel even more weary, rather than to encourage him by doing away with his ignorance. _Ignorance isn't bliss. It just sucks a little less than having knowledge._ A little disconcerted by his own cynicism, and the fact that he was standing around doing nothing, he put himself in the right mindset for progress. _...Well, every journey begins with a single step, right?_

Leon took a step, and began walking. Making that first step took a lot of courage, because the sentient part of Leon's brain knew what he was getting himself into. Every subsequent step was a lot easier, but only because the primitive part of Leon's brain saw the simple task of walking forward as nothing difficult.

Leon walked through a doorway, and then down a short hall. At the end of the hall was a window – through it, Leon could see a rock face. _Where am I, in some sort of cliff area?_

The hall ended, and Leon turned around a corner, seeing a door. Eager to learn where exactly he was, Leon walked towards the door and opened it. After his eyes adjusted to the consequent flood of bright sunlight, Leon beheld a canyon – from the inside. There was a cliff face on either side of him. The house he had been confined within was built on an outcropping of rock in the canyon between the two cliffs.

The first thing that his eyes were drawn to was a great green flag, blowing in the wind. It was torn and ragged, but Leon could make out the symbol on the flag – the emblem that he had seen a few times up until now. _This emblem is everywhere. It must be the Los Illuminados' insignia._ Suddenly, the aura of mystery that had surrounded the emblem was replaced by an aura of malevolence. That emblem now stood for everything bad about this place – everything bad that had happened so far. Leon quickly learned to hate this emblem.

A little beyond the flag was a rock wall. It wasn't tall enough to prevent Leon from climbing over it, but there was barbed wire topping it. However, there was a heavy door built into the wall. But before Leon went through it, he approached one of the many large cracks running through the wall to find out what was beyond it.

Wooden walkways were built into the canyon walls, and so were wooden bridges providing access from one side to the other. There were two other houses built on rocky outcroppings, and a few structures that looked like primitive watchtowers built into the cliffs. Men were walking to and fro across the wooden walkways. Their aimless wandering, their empty looks, the way their clutched their weapons – they were the same as Leon had seen before. Ganados, without a doubt.

Leon watched them with fascination, imagining the parasites living inside each one of them. But, reminding himself that he had no time to marvel, he quickly began looking around the area for something that looked like a way out. There – on the opposite end of the canyon, a door. Leon scanned the canyon one more time, mentally mapping out the route he would have to take. _If only I had a sniper rifle...I could pick most of them off right now._ He thought, dimly noting that he now thought of the Ganados as targets rather than people.

"¿Hay alguien allí?"

Leon let out a curse as he stumbled away from the crack. One moment he was surveying the canyon, and the next moment he was staring at a Ganado's ugly mug a few inches from his face. The Ganado must have sensed Leon's presence and walked over to inspect.

"¡Aquí está!" The man shouted, pointing a finger at Leon. Leon, in turn, pointed the laser sight of his handgun at the man's forehead, and pulled the trigger. If the man's shout hadn't alerted the other Ganados to Leon's escape, then his gunshot certainly had. _I'd better make for that door – and fast._

Leon scrambled to the door, kicked it open, and ran full speed along the route he'd laid out. He ran along a ledge, and then down a few stairs, footsteps thumping on the creaky wooden steps. He darted across a wooden walkway and then onto a bridge, just barely dodging a Ganado lunging for his neck. As he ran along the bridge, something caught his eye – a red barrel. A yellow triangle was painted on the side, with a single word inscribed on it – _Gasolina_.

_Gasoline, huh? This is too good of a chance to pass up._

Leon pointed his gun at the barrel. The moment he saw his red laser sight flickering on it, he fired. The barrel blew up in a fiery explosion, blasting a Ganado who had been standing near it into the chasm below. The blast was also enough to send a Ganado standing on the bridge to the same fate, allowing Leon access to the other side.

Once on the other side of the canyon, Leon ran along the ledge until he had reached the door. Now that he was in front of it, he noticed that there was a hexagonal indentation in the center. Ignoring it, Leon simply tried to push the door open – but it wouldn't budge. He tried to figure out how to open the door. There was no handle, no lock, no keyhole, nothing – except for the indentation. _I'm guessing that this hexagonal slot is part of some kind of a locking mechanism._ Leon quickly looked around the canyon again. From his new vantage point, he could see a few things he hadn't before – one of those things was a chest on the roof of the second house. _That's the closest thing I've got to a lead. Might as well check it out._

Leon started off running again. There were no Ganados in the immediate area, but he could see a swath of them heading his way from the bridge. Leon reached the second house. How am I going to get to the roof? He saw a ladder propped up against the side of the house. Perfect! Leon scrambled up the ladder.

Something sharp whizzed by, mere inches over his head! A Ganado was waiting on the roof with a pickaxe. _No thanks – don't need a haircut._ Leon tripped him, sending him down to the ground below. Then, he ran along the roof to the chest. Opened it quickly. What he found inside matched the shape of the hexagonal indentation – but only half of it.

_What? It's broken? Split down the middle? No, there must be two parts. There has to be._

Leon saw Ganados climbing the ladder to the roof of the house. He looked around for another escape route – saw something. An open hatch. Leon ran over to it, only to see a Ganado's head pop out of it. The Ganado climbed out, another one came up from behind him...

_Out of options!_

Leon jumped down through the hatch, a pickaxe barely missing his head for the second time in the last minute. He landed inside of the house – a Ganado was before him, weapon raised. This situation was only slightly better than the one he was in previously.

As the Ganado swung, Leon leapt back, and then delivered a kick that sent the man flying. The sound of a door being opened violently – then a window breaking – Leon turned around to see them pouring in from every entrance.

He turned and leapt through a window, eyes immediately scanning the area for another chest. There – on the other side of the canyon! At the moment, the bridge was a safe passage to take. Although breathing heavily from fatigue, Leon knew he didn't have time to stop to rest. He just kept on running.

Once on the other side of the canyon, he ran up a trail that led to an area littered with sandbags. _It's as if the layout of this place is designed just to give me trouble!_ Leon made his way to the chest. Opened it, dug around inside – got it! The other half of the hexagonal key!

Holding both under his arms, Leon turned to see that the crowd of Ganados had finally caught up with him. They were going to wash over him like a flood. Leon stepped backwards until he was up against a wall. His eyes looked around frantically for anything, anything –

_Red barrel!_

Perfect, it's just too perfect! Leon raised his gun, pointing it at the barrel. The Ganados, completely oblivious to his plan, continued their approach.

_Closer..._

Closer...

Now!

A gunshot. An explosion. A wave a heat. A shower of blood. And, then, silence.

All there was to be heard was the flapping of the flags, the whistling of the wind through cracks in the cliff walls, and the heavy panting of one very exhausted man.

_Next time...no more running around like that. I'll just gun them all down. Can't keep myself alive this way. Can't save Ashley this way._

Ashley...

As soon as he remembered her, Leon fumbled around in his pocket for her picture. He hadn't lost it, had he? All that running. It could have slipped out of his pocket. It could have –

No. Here it was. In his hands. Leon inhaled deeply, drawing in cold air, causing a sharp pain in his chest. But he breathed easily nonetheless, looking at that picture.

Tucking it away into the safety of his back pocket, Leon traveled down the cliff, eventually returning to the door. He placed both halves of the hexagonal key into the slot. A sound was heard, as if a lock was being released. Afterwards, a light nudge was all it took to open the door. _I don't know how this mechanism works, but I know that the door is open, and that's all I need._

Looking through the door, Leon could see that the next area looked calm...at least compared to the chaos he'd just been through. Nonetheless, he couldn't seem to make his feet move.

_...A single step, Leon. A single step._

Leon took a step, and began walking.


End file.
